It is crucial for every government agency to use its authority to facilitate the shift to a low carbon economy to mitigate climate change. By dropping its investigation, the Bureau is missing an opportunity to vindicate honest, evidence-based public debate on climate change science and policy. No other agency — and certainly no private citizen — has the legal tools and authority to investigate these climate science misrepresentations the way the Bureau can. The Bureau should be putting these tools to use protecting the public from self-interested and deliberate misinformation campaigns.

The next few years present a crucial window for aggressive climate change action. Canada and the world must decisively break away from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources that do not pollute our atmosphere with dangerous levels of greenhouse gases.

Economically this will be a great period of creative destruction. New technologies and methods that produce energy without ruining the climate will soon begin to prevail over fossil fuels at increasing scale.

Wealthy fossil fuel business interests are sophisticated — they have seen this coming for years and have worked to preserve the status quo. Sadly, this makes sense as a cold calculation. For the fossil fuel industry the era of serious climate action is not a new beginning, but rather the beginning of the end.

Their tactics are reminiscent of those used by the tobacco industry to sow doubts about scientific fact to protect business interests at the expense of public health.

If enough of the public doubts climate science, or loses trust in climate scientists and their institutions, or fails to grasp the urgency of the situation, the profits of established fossil fuel business interests will remain safer for longer. Misinformation means aggressive climate policies will be harder to achieve and capital and consumer markets will keep leaning towards polluting fossil fuels.

Now is the time we need our cops on the climate beat to be stepping up. The Competition Bureau took an encouraging first step but did not follow through. Canadians need their government to take a stand against misinformation campaigns that cloud climate science.

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Jill TeeAugust 27, 2017

Does the fossil fuel industry truly believe that their activities are not harming the healthy well-being of life on earth? What is their motivation for not aggressively refitting themselves to sustainable energy projects? There is money to be made! Don’t they know that they cannot protect themselves from the effects of the massive destructive effects coming? What is their endgame? Apocalypse and salvation by an alt-right God?
As to the government not following through on this, well, we know where their interests lie…in getting re-elected without doing much to change the status quo.

Janet RiddellAugust 28, 2017

It is completely ridiculous that our government is allowing oil companies to pay for ads that are deliberate lies to make less intelligent and/or more gullible members of the public think that climate change is not real! We need to have everyone on board, and helping to fight climate change, not question the science that has already been established. I don’t know how these people sleep at night, honestly.

ValerieSeptember 07, 2017

This is a PRIVATELY FUNDED ORGANIZATION. I know because I give them money every year. I do that because THEY’RE RIGHT. “Climate change” has nothing whatsoever to do with climate. It’s 100% POLITICAL. If you don’t believe that, then ask your government representative where the money from carbon taxes will go.

JanetSeptember 08, 2017

Your response to my statement isn’t really clear, which privately funded organisation do you mean? Ecojustice? Those advertising lies about climate change? Regardless, I don’t see how it should change my point of view. Climate change us not political, its definitely real, the oil companies are paying pr companies to come up with believable lies so they can keep raking in money. Carbon tax is the least of my concerns. Funny how folks question a carbon tax but don’t even flinch at the billions in tax cuts and whatnot the government hands out to oil companies. I certainly don’t want my tax dollars going there! We need to stop funding dirty industry, and work on promoting green initiatives. Quite frankly, I don’t know how anyone can deny climate change is real, with 4 major hurricanes, an unprecedented event, going on now. How many once in a lifetime events have to be repeated for folks to understand?

liz foxAugust 29, 2017

Isn’t there something regarding false advertising that could work?

John MerrimanAugust 29, 2017

Could it be that the Competition Bureau went into this investigation assuming that they could show that there is no conspiracy behind climate change denier groups, but found it impolitic to continue after they discovered the opposite to be true?

Paul ArmstrongAugust 29, 2017

so where are these signs…maybe I could file a Human Rights complaint.

ValerieSeptember 07, 2017

On the basis of WHAT??? This bid FAILED because “the Bureau” couldn’t find a reason to keep chasing The Friends of Science.

M. MeagherAugust 30, 2017

Compelling story – and too familiar, BUT: you did not mention what, if any grounds the Comp. Bureau cited in its announcement re cancelling the investigation.
I need to know more pre my comments.
NB: I am pretty sure the “Friends of Science” are anything but.

The Competition Bureau is in a position to act and put an end to dangerous misrepresentation of facts. It needs to act for all of us!

ValerieSeptember 07, 2017

It would absolutely NEVER act for me and I have to assume that I’m part of “all of us”.

Geoffrey PounderSeptember 01, 2017

“The inquiry concerned allegations that Friends of Science Society, International Climate Science Coalition and Heartland Institute made misleading representations regarding climate change on their respective websites and, in the case of Friends of Science Society, on billboards.”

Surely, the Competition Board had the capacity and jurisdiction to make a ruling.
How could the Competition Board discontinue the inquiry without providing specific reasons? What, specifically, were the deficiencies in the submission?
Aside from one brief article in The Edmonton Journal, media coverage has been distinctly lacking. Canadians need to know.
Smells very fishy.

ValerieSeptember 07, 2017

“The inquiry concerned allegations that Friends of Science Society, International Climate Science Coalition and Heartland Institute made misleading representations regarding climate change… Well, clearly The Friends of Science DID NOT make “misleading representations regarding climate change”. That’s why “the Bureau” is revoking its investigation. They know they don’t have a let to stand on and could be sued if they continued their bogus claims.

Geoffrey PounderSeptember 01, 2017

Ironically, the blatant denialist campaign, dishonest and discredited, isn’t the real problem anymore.
Deniers like Donald Trump and his merry-go-round staff openly invite contempt and derision on this and every other issue.
No, the threat to climate change action comes from politicians like Trudeau and Notley, who acknowledge the science but ignore its implications. Who boast about climate leadership, but push oilsands expansion and pipelines. Who sign int’l agreements, but fail to take the action necessary to meet those commitments. Who say one thing and do another.
The new denialism is just as delusional but far more insidious.

Im glad it was dropped as you guys would have had your collective behinds handed to you for all the false scientific claims, and predictions made about AGW. Although I doubt very much the Competition Bureau ‘dropped your investigation’ as you most likely realized or were told how ‘Orwellian’ this was. ‘Jailing someone for not having the right thoughts’. Thats embarrassing. Why don’t you try debating instead?